@sirquack: Good idea, thanks.

@grunt: Thanks for picking up on my wall mount comment - I should have made that clearer. I'm really wrestling with the guideline to keep speakers 1'+ away from the wall (let alone the 3' you mention). As big as the room is, it is not empty nor is it unused. In the next-to-the-cabinet arrangement, that puts one speaker in the living room traffic path.

I'm intrigued by the 'on wall' speaker form factor, but suspect I'll be trading one set of issues for another.